HTC has announced that it will no longer lock the boot loader on its devices, although it is unclear whether that will apply only to future devices from the handset manufacturer or if it will be retroactive.

‎"There has been overwhelmingly [sic] customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we've listened. Today, I'm confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience," Peter Chou, CEO of HTC

The Facebook post has already garnered nearly 2,000 comments and 6,500 "Likes" after being up for about 10 hours (at the time of this writing).

An unlocked boot loader allows for greater customization on a smartphone or tablet device. Loading an alternate operating system, for example, is much easier to do on an unlocked device. You can expect HTC devices to be the subject of a plethora of custom ROMs as a result.

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